


sweet, sweet love

by dearlyuta



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Babysitters, Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 21:03:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17251358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearlyuta/pseuds/dearlyuta
Summary: "What do you mean I can't bribe kids with sweets?"(Or, in which Jeno and Jaemin are both needed to babysit a kid.The thing is, Jeno is horrible at taking care of kids.)





	sweet, sweet love

**Author's Note:**

> finally finished with this! just a little side note, i kind of made up the names of the kids on the spot so sdkdkjd. anyway, please excuse any mistakes that you might see since this is not proofread. i hope you enjoy reading!

Jeno is, quite frankly, not good with kids.

He's not that terrible but the number of times he lets his gaze flicker away every time a child bursts into tears right in front of him is too many to count already. His only solution to help soothe down a crying kid is giving a copious amount of sugary treats but he's exhausted of mothers directing their stern glares at him every time he does that.

Renjun used to drag him along back in high school, trying to involve him in his babysitting service. But honestly speaking, Jeno spent more time lounging on the couch, munching on bags of chips whilst Renjun ran around to chase after a screaming kid. Right after five times (yes, five times — Renjun is not sure why he lets that happen for so many consecutive times) of that happening, he casually drops Jeno from his impromptu babysitting service.

He did try to gently let him down by saying _you're really horrible at taking care of kids_ , which is not exactly the nicest thing he could have said but it's done already. Jeno could care less though, he doesn't really like being involved in that and he did breathe easier when Renjun stopped calling him up every Friday night for a babysitting job. He manages to accept easily that he doesn't bond with children so he does everything in his power to avoid those __little devils__ , as he likes to call them.

But he realizes that it's so difficult to do that when his boyfriend loves kids.

Jaemin adores taking care of kids all too much — it's no wonder that he winded up getting a job as a kindergarten teacher. Jeno has never seen him so blissful and ecstatic whilst patiently teaching kids to count numbers and write letters on pieces of papers. His patience is awfully long that it amazes Jeno at times how Jaemin's smile never at all wavered whenever a child starts to throw a tantrum or starts a riot in the middle of the class. If it's up to Jeno then... let's say that it won't end well and he'll probably get kicked off his job at the first day.

But Jeno doesn't mind at all. He doesn't mind that Jaemin stays a little while longer in the classroom compared to the other teachers since he loves to play with the kids whilst waiting for their parents to pick them up. He doesn't mind that sometimes when he swings by the school where Jaemin teaches, the kids easily pick Jaemin over him every time, even when Jeno is trying to win them over with sweets.

("Jeno, they aren't allowed to eat sweets. You know that!"

"It's fun breaking the rules though."

"Jeno, you're a lawyer."

"...And?"

"Okay, point taken.")

He doesn't mind all of that because he'll do anything to see that beautiful curve of a smile painted across his boyfriend's lips every day. He lights up every time he steps into the classroom and that sight alone is enough for the warmth to spread in his chest, igniting an everlasting kind of flame within his rib cage.

Honestly speaking, Jeno isn't sure if he has what it takes to make Jaemin as happy as his job does. Since the moment their paths crossed back in high school, they've collided. Their personalities clashed all too often that Renjun has even volunteered himself to be the mediator between them though everyone knows that Renjun does enjoy a little drama every now and then. Given that, no one is truly surprised when he ended up getting roped in with Donghyuck and dating him since they're awfully similar in so many ways than one.

Jeno has never even thought that he would be friends with Jaemin, much less be his boyfriend. They just... didn't have the spark or that instantaneous click in their friendship, unlike with Renjun and Donghyuck. But then again, he did spend too many nights sneaking up with Jaemin to the school's rooftop, laughing senselessly over everything and nothing else at the same time.

Them racing up to the rooftop has become a sort of a tradition between them — a secrecy that they've swore that they would never break in the entirety of their lifetimes. It was Jeno's idea, right after he once witnessed Jaemin taking up his usual spot in the rooftop and instead of pushing him away, they ended up talking and sharing a laugh until it's almost time for the sun to rise up. It's such an endearing memory since it's the moment in their lives when they realized that maybe they could work together, fall into place together.

Jeno adores Jaemin — he's so madly, deeply, crazily in love with him since the moment Jaemin laid his head on his shoulder during one school night, their fingers lightly intertwined. He wanted to kiss him right there and then, for goodness' sake, but he held himself back for the fear that Jaemin would never see him that way. He was proven wrong on that same night, when Jaemin stared at him for a long stretch of silence before leaning in close to press a kiss on the corner of his lips. A blush painted itself across both of the curves of their cheeks and they couldn't stop themselves from smiling so hard until their faces ache.

If Jeno is being completely truthful, he'd say that that night they kissed on the rooftop is the last night he ever made Jaemin elated. He knows that Jaemin is happy with him — he knows it from deep within his core — but he's not as lively and contented compared to working with kids.

But it's quite all right for him — he'll do anything for Jaemin.

-

"What?" Jeno squeaks out, his phone slipping right out of his fingertips and involuntarily falling on the carpeted floor with a dull thud. Jaehyun, his older brother, sits right in front of him on the couch with a sheepish smile drawing itself on the edges of his mouth. He rubs the nape of his neck before heaving a deep sigh, clasping his hands together.

"Please? I've been planning to take Taeyong out for a romantic trip but I really need someone to watch Saerom for us for at least a day." Jeno knows that so well — Jaehyun and Taeyong actually spend too many times going on trips since they're incredibly clingy with each other. They often try to get their friends to babysit their daughter but it seems like they've exhausted them already so of course, Jaehyun will turn to his sweet, little brother.

Except that his brother is quite terrible with kids.

"Come on, you know that I can't handle kids."

"Didn't you hold a babysitting service with Renjun before?" Jeno resists the urge to roll his eyes, settling with eliciting a loud huff.

"Pretty sure that I spent more time on the couch and watching the television while Injun runs after the kids." Jaehyun grimaces at the sound of his words but Jeno's expression doesn't twist into anything else — he almost seems like he's torn between looking nonchalant about the entire thing or exploding into pieces because just thinking about kids stresses him out already.

"What about Jaemin?" Jeno narrows his eyes slightly, a frown curving on his lips.

"What about him?"

"Isn't he a kindergarten teacher?" Jaehyun presses on, leaning in close and invading his brother's personal space just enough to make a little uncomfortable so he can blurt out the truth. "Doesn't that mean he's good with kids?"

"Please, he's perfect when it comes to babysitting kids." Jaehyun lights up at the words that left Jeno's lips and the younger boy instantly regrets letting them fall off his tongue, his fingers lightly tapping against his empty lap. His teeth sinks down on his bottom lip, afraid that he might end up saying something that he shouldn't say.

"See? You can ask him for help!"

"Hyung," Jeno cuts in, gnawing on his lower lip out of nervousness as he switches his tone into a gentler one. "Nana has been taking care of kids since eight in the morning until the afternoon. I'd hate to disturb him more if he comes home and has to take care of another child."

Jaehyun's face falls at that, a saddened expression passing through his features. He looks incredibly disappointed as his shoulders slump down to display the emotion running through his veins. Jeno suddenly hates seeing him so... _hopeless_ like that — he does love his six year old niece but he's worried that she might not warm up to him since they barely see each other. Based on the way Jeno treats kids too, she might wound up hating him or get addicted to sweets. Either way, it's not exactly the best result that Jeno would be rooting for.

But he really, really hates seeing such a sad Jaehyun right in front of him. He despises it so much that his mind rewires and he jumps right into the opportunity without so much of a second thought.

"Fine, we'll do it."

"Really?" Jeno can feel the urge rising up in his chest — the urge to take it all back and keep his mouth shut until Jaemin comes back home from work. But he can't bring himself to do it, especially when he sees the obvious excitement and happiness written all over Jaehyun’s features. It's almost as if he wasn't upset just a moment ago since every bit of that expression is completely wiped off his face. He can't bring it in himself to disappoint him all over again.

So with that, with clenched teeth and jaw, he nods his head slowly. He easily pulls the corners of his mouth into a sickeningly sweet smile, enough to fool his brother to think that he's a hundred perfect agreeing with that idea. The worry pools in his stomach, spreading in every direction and circulating throughout his entire body. He digs the toes of his shoes onto the floor, feeling his nerves hitting the roof as he watches Jaehyun stand from the couch with an even wider smile painted on his mouth.

"Thank you so much, Jeno!" He reaches out, pulling him in a quite literally breathtaking embrace that leaves Jeno punching at his chest discreetly after Jaehyun pulls away. He coughs a little, swallowing the lump that apparently formed in his throat as he musters up another grin at his direction.

"We'll drop Saerom off tomorrow, okay?" Jeno doesn't trust himself to say anything else right now so he keeps his lips sealed and nods his head once again. Jaehyun bids him another goodbye before he cheerily leaves the apartment with a frustrated Jeno left behind. Once he's sure that his older brother has already slipped right out of the front door, he quietly shuts the door close and slumps down right on the couch.

How the hell did he even get roped in this?

-

"You? Taking care of a kid?" Renjun tries not to react but his lips twitch the slightest, betraying him as he breaks into a wide, mischievous grin. "Tragic."

Jeno can't come up with a witty retort, getting briefly distracted by the unconventional noise bustling in the café. It used to be tranquil right here — a comforting place to reside in so he stays here quite often to review his work. But today, out of all the days, is busy as hell and Jeno can't properly vent out the frustrations that are still residing in his body.

He had asked to meet up with Renjun and Donghyuck and the two readily agreed as soon as they've heard the words I'm paying left Jeno's lips over their phone call. For a stretch of moment, Jeno can see that his mistake of calling his two friends for sensible advice.

"Definitely tragic. How the hell did this even happen?" Donghyuck settles down on the booth, right next to Renjun. He casually rests an arm around Renjun's shoulder whilst the other boy barely reacts, only leaning in to take a sip of his iced coffee.

"Jaehyun hyung needed someone to watch over Saerom."

"Saerom?" Renjun brightens up, his eyes wide and sparkling. Jeno resists the urge to crack a smile, taking note of the obvious enthusiastic reaction that the older boy expressed. "How is she nowadays?"

Renjun used to watch over her when she was still around three years old. As far as Jeno knows, they might be even closer than Jeno and her could ever be. Jeno has always been worried that he might accidentally hurt the little girl so Renjun always took the step first, playing with her and taking care of her, with the occasional help from Donghyuck.

"I've barely seen her for the past three years," Jeno gently swirls around his coffee in his cup using his straw, watching the ice cubes move along with the liquid. Despite the fact that he loves caffeine nowadays (he blames this entirely on Jaemin since his boyfriend seems to be addicted to caffeine), he can barely take a sip of the drink right in front of him. He figures it might be because of the growing anxiety coursing through his body.

Renjun sulks at that, complaining that he misses squishing her chubby cheeks. As Renjun continues to ramble on, Jeno perks up, eyes wide as the idea dawns on him. Of course, it makes an awful lot of sense — Renjun loves kids too, which is surprising considering his rough personality at times. Donghyuck is charming enough for kids to chase after him and play with him so Jeno doesn't have a doubt that they're a great team together. Maybe they'll be a perfect team to watch over Saerom.

"Hey," Jeno cuts in the middle of the conversation, a hush falling among the three of them as Renjun and Donghyuck turns their full attention on him. Jeno clears his throat, shifting his position on his chair before leaning forward with an eyebrow arched slightly.

"What do you think about taking care of Saerom tomorrow?"

Renjun and Donghyuck both exchange a look, eyebrows knitted with a frown falling on the corners of their mouths. They both appear disappointed as they turn back to Jeno, an apologetic look coloring itself on their faces.

"Sorry, Jen, but we'll be visiting Injun's relatives in China. Tomorrow is our flight."

"China?" His voice comes out as a squeak, filled with disbelief. Renjun bursts into a fit of resonating laughter, muffling the sound with a hand clamped over his mouth. Donghyuck rolls his eyes at his reaction, lightly pinching his cheek but Renjun dodges his hand in one, swift movement with a snicker.

"You're really leaving?" Jeno juts out his lower lip to resemble a pout. Donghyuck coos right at him, trying to reach out to pinch Jeno's cheek instead but the other boy only presses his back against his chair with his eyes narrowed into a stern glare at him. Donghyuck doesn't look at all bothered with it, he even flashes a cheeky grin before he goes back to wrap his arm around Renjun's shoulders.

"I know you'll miss us, Jen."

"I won't." Both Renjun and Donghyuck raise their brows at him and Jeno backs down with a huff, begrudgingly nodding his head. "Fine, maybe I will."

"It's only for two weeks! We'll bring back some snacks for you, Nana, and maybe even Saerom," Renjun leans in close, eyes sparkling as usual whenever he mentions his favorite kid he ever had to babysit. "Tell her to wait for her Renjun _oppa_ to come back."

"She never even called you that!" Renjun only makes a face at him, sticking out his tongue at him childishly. The gesture makes Jeno pull one of the corners of his lips upwards, forming a half-smile directed at his friends. Renjun steals a glance at his watch, a deep frown curling on his lips as he elicits an inaudible sigh.

"I feel bad for cutting our meeting short but Hyuck and I still have to pack up. Because apparently," Renjun turns his head to glare right at Donghyuck, shaking his head. "Someone thought it would be a good idea to pack just a day before our flight."

"I only pack lightly!" Donghyuck cries out, holding out his hands in defense but Renjun only gives him an unamused stare, getting up from his booth.

"Sure, tell that to your three suitcases you've set out on our bed." Renjun can't even hold himself back from rolling his eyes, his gaze briefly flickering to the other male sitting on the chair. "God, why am I always so attracted to idiots?"

"You do realize that we dated before, right?" Renjun snickers, lips stretched into a wide smile as he pulls on Donghyuck's wrist to drag him out of the booth. The younger boy yelps in surprise, almost falling off before straightening himself as he stands on his feet with a wince.

"You just proved my point, Jen." A flash of smile appears across Renjun's lips before he sneakily lets his fingers slip through the empty spaces in Donghyuck's hand. "We only dated for like— what, three days? That doesn't count."

Renjun raises their intertwined fingers, gesturing over to the doors with a subtle tilt of his head. Jeno waves them off dismissively with a smile, bidding them goodbye and patiently watching as the couple run over to the doors with a laugh echoing right behind them. He heaves a deep sigh afterwards, arms crossed right in front of his chest with his gaze flickering over to the café's window.

He just hopes he doesn't mess up anything.

-

"I'm home!" Jaemin announces loudly, his eyes flickering over the different rooms and furniture to see where Jeno is residing at. The older boy grunts in response, curled up right on the couch with an exhausted expression crossing his features — he looks so beaten down with his shoulders dropped and his head hanging low. Jaemin can't help but feel the worry course through his veins, settling right beside him and looping his arms around the other male's figure.

"Did something happen?" Jeno pursues his lips in a thin line, carefully choosing his words in his head before he buries his face right on the crook of Jaemin's neck. He feels awful for worrying about something small like this — he's not sure why he can feel his insides twist in nervousness at the thought of taking care of a kid. He knows he's horrible at it but thinking about the possibility that he'll end up getting Jaemin into this and pushing the responsibility to him makes him feel utterly bad.

"Jaehyun hyung dropped by this morning."

"Really?" Jaemin takes a peek at the frown creasing itself on the edges of Jeno's lips, his head tilting just the slightest. "Did he say anything?"

"He's dropping Saerom tomorrow here and he asked me if we can take care of her for a day since he'll be out of town with Taeyong hyung." Jeno hesitates for a short stretch of moment before pulling away and meekly glancing at his boyfriend. "I said that we could do that."

As if on cue, Jaemin's eyes light up. His starry eyes appear brighter than the usual — that kind of look is the reason why he adores Jaemin so much. He can never get tired of seeing Jaemin with the sweetest smile playing on his lips and his eyes crinkling. It's so endearing and it's enough to lift up Jeno's mood.

"Isn't that good news then? We can finally get to spend some time with Saerom!" Jeno barely cracks a smile before he finds the butterflies fluttering their wings in his stomach, the rush of emotions running through his veins makes him incredibly lightheaded. His fingers twitch slightly before he reaches out to let them slip through the empty spaces of Jaemin's hands, feeling right at home after that. Jaemin casts him a troubled glance, eyebrows knitted together to display his worry at Jeno's state.

"You don't look so happy. What happened?" Jaemin drops his voice in such a soothing, gentle manner that Jeno ends up locking their gazes together with a frown curling on his lips.

"I don't know," He heaves a deep sigh, subtly giving Jaemin's fingers a squeeze before he leans close. "I'm not good at taking care of kids, you know that."

"Is that what's keeping you up?" Jaemin arches a brow, the slight tug on the corners of his lips betrays him as he ends up showcasing a smile. "You're amazing with kids, silly. I can see the kids practically light up like a Christmas tree whenever you visit me at school."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." Jeno tries to keep his voice light and even, earning a laugh from Jaemin's lips as he pulls the older boy into a comforting embrace. Jeno, despite how he attempts to keep up his tough act, melts in his arms as he loops his own arms around Jaemin's lithe figure.

"I'm telling the truth, I promise. Sure, you might have tried to bribe them with candies every now and then but they adore the way you play with them and teach them." Jaemin elicits a chortle, reminiscing the memories of Jeno attempting to get on the kids' good sides by playing blocks and reading them books. Jeno is awfully charming if he tries, with his bright smile and his eyes crinkling just the same. Even kids are elated whenever they see Jeno smile and hear his melodic laugh bounce off the walls though for Jeno, those kind of things are not that noticeable for him.

"Give yourself some credit. You're amazing, Jeno." Jaemin pulls away just enough to tilt Jeno's head up, pressing a feather light kiss on his lips. The kiss stirs both of their hearts out of control, beating all too fast for them to realize it. Jeno can't help but curve his lips into a pleasant smile, any traces of his sour mood has already been erased.

It's always been like this — Jaemin sitting down with Jeno and quietly reassuring him, erasing every doubt and worry that Jeno keeps storing in his heart. He's, without a doubt, very charismatic with his sweet-sounding words, paired with the most enthralling smile he could muster. Maybe that's why Jaemin is one of the most likeable people that Jeno has ever stumbled across.

God, how did he even get lucky with Jaemin?

"Thank you." Jaemin's eyes are filled with an endless explosion of stars, an infinity's worth of brightness buried in his dark orbs. Jeno could spend centuries admiring every star strung along to form exquisite constellations deep in his dark brown eyes.

"What for?" This time, Jeno emits a light laugh, enjoying the confusion painted along Jaemin's features before he leans over to press a lingering kiss right on his lips. Jaemin gratefully accepts the kiss with a grin, a red tint dusting itself across the curves of his cheeks.

"For everything."

-

The sunlight gently weaves its way through the blinds, illuminating the bedroom in a gentle kind of glow. It's not too harsh — just enough for Jeno to appreciate the softness of the mattress pressed up against his skin. Jaemin's arms are looped right around his figure, head tucked against the crook of his neck and their legs tangled. Based on the steady breathing coming from his boyfriend, Jaemin is still deep in his sleep so Jeno willingly snuggles closer with his lips brushing very lightly against the top of his head. The other boy squirms just the lightest before his entire body relaxes in his hold once again.

The brief thought of him not having work for today and for the rest of the weekend seems enough for him to lull himself back to sleep. He opts with staring at his boyfriend with such an adoring gaze, a subtle smile already playing on his lips as he lets the tip of his finger graze along the other boy's cheek and down his jawline. No matter what, Jaemin always appears so ethereal and breathtaking — it's such a wonder how someone as perfect as him actually exists in this world.

Just when Jeno can finally feel his body relaxing, the exhaustion hitting his bones thoroughly as his eyes slowly flutter shut, there's a rapid knock at his door. He ignores it at first, thinking that it might be coming from the apartment next door instead of theirs.

But the knock only resounds louder, echoing through the apartment and jolting Jeno out of his sleepy state. His head still feels heavy and everything seems so out of focus, making him lightheaded and dizzy as he takes in his surroundings. The sound outside their door is enough to shake Jaemin out of his sleep too — a yawn falls from his lips as he tiredly sits up with his back resting against the headboard. He rubs his eyes, another yawn threatening to escape his mouth as he draws his gaze over to a still obviously worn-out Jeno.

Jeno forces himself to sit up despite his dizziness, letting himself absorb the events happening around him. Jaemin gently holds his hand, leaning over to press a kiss on his cheek with a sleepy smile curved on his lips.

"I'll get the door." Jeno mumbles and Jaemin shoots him a grateful smile. They both hesitantly pull their fingers out of each other's grasp before Jeno tiredly gets out of their shared bed, dragging his feet all the way to the front door. Another series of knocks echo against the wooden door and Jeno emits a grunt at the annoying sound.

"Coming!" Jeno yells out and the knocks finally disperse into nothingness as the morning silence settles in. Jeno steals a glimpse at the clock hanging on the wall, quietly noting in his head that it's only seven in the morning. Who the hell would be here early in the morning?

He unlocks the door, pulling the door open and pokes his head out. A gasp falls from his lips when he faces Jaehyun and Taeyong waiting with the brightest smiles etched on their faces. A little girl, about the age of six, hides right behind Jaehyun's coat — from one glance, it's obvious that it's Saerom. He remembers her squishy cheeks that get flushed easily and her hair that always seems to be braided. She's wearing a blue flowery dress with a cardigan thrown over her shoulders to shield her from the freezing cold.

"Um," Jeno lets his gaze flicker from Saerom, Taeyong, to Jaehyun before finally eyeing them all with a small sheepish smile gracing his lips. "Hey?"

"Jeno! Thank you so much for agreeing to babysit Saerom." Taeyong cheerily greets him, his hand briefly patting Saerom's head before his hand grazes her back. "It means so much to us."

"I," Jeno blinks rapidly, shaking the remnants of sleep right out his system as he tries to wrap his head around the situation presented to him. "I thought you guys were bringing her at ten in the morning?"

Jaehyun spares him a glance of confusion, shaking his head. Taeyong watches the exchange with a frown already beginning to crease itself on his mouth.

"No, we said that we'll drop her off at seven in the morning." Jaehyun patiently reminds him, a wide smile painting itself on his mouth. Jeno opens his mouth to retort but the reminder slams down too quickly, silencing him all too swiftly.

Right, Jaehyun did message him last night. But he might have been busy cuddling with Jaemin last night to take a glance at his phone and read through his messages properly. The worry spreads too fast through Jeno's body as he eyes his niece once again. She looks shy, silent as she keeps her gaze downcast, as if she's afraid to look straight at him. All right, at least she doesn't look like a little girl who will cause too much chaos in their apartment.

"Right, sorry." Jeno swings the door open, offering the family a view of their clean apartment before he crouches down to meet her gaze. He sports on a friendly smile, giving her a little wave of his hand to try and catch her attention. But Saerom only gives him a sideways glance before she clutches her backpack against her chest in a rather protective manner.

 _Oh, she doesn't remember me._ Jeno, peacefully ignoring the fact that he only saw her for a total of four times during the past three years, is a little hurt that she doesn't gaze at him with any sort of memory popping in her head. But it's fine — he's sure that she'll warm up to him... _eventually_.

"All right, sweetie," Taeyong crouches down too, wrapping her up in a tight embrace, letting his arms linger around her tiny figure before he cups her cheeks to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Be a good girl, okay? You promised daddy that you'll listen to your uncles, right?"

Saerom nods her head slowly, her teeth lightly sinking down on her bottom lip as a frown starts to draw itself across her mouth. Jaehyun takes her up in his arms, carrying her effortlessly, as if she weighs a few amount of feathers.

"We promise we'll be home by tomorrow! We'll even buy you some chocolates. You like that, right?" Jeno watches them with curious eyes, gazing inquisitively at the way Saerom nods her head excitedly. Her eyes are wide and bright, displaying her delight as she flashes both of her parents a cheeky smile. Jaehyun gently places her down on the floor, letting her feet lightly hit the floor before he turns his attention to Jeno.

"Thanks again, Jeno. We owe you one!" Even before Jeno can open his mouth, Jaehyun and Taeyong eagerly bid goodbye to their daughter, showering her with a quick round of kisses and hugs before they let her step inside the apartment. Jeno can only wave at them with a streak of bewilderment drawing on his features as the two walk down the hallway, only sparing a second to glance back at him with a smile.

"Jeno, who was—" Jaemin's voice gets cut off with an excited squeal, followed by him murmuring softly with his voice turning light and gentle. Jeno quietly closes the door and locks it, turning around and spots Jaemin crouched right in front of Saerom with the sweetest smile curled on his lips. He holds out his arms and to Jeno's surprise, Saerom rushes straight into his embrace before bursting into a fit of giggles. Jaemin gratefully wraps his arms around her, making sure that she's comfortable with it.

The sight of his boyfriend being so excited with meeting his niece is so adorable — he's so sure that his heart just melted at the little interaction exchanged between them. Every bit of exhaustion leaves his system completely, awakening him to the bones as he approaches them with cautious steps so he won't frighten the little girl.

"Hi, Saerom." Jeno voices out, crouching down once again until they're around the same height. Saerom breaks away from Jaemin's embrace, turning on her heel to face Jeno with a poker face painted on her features. Jeno awkwardly extends his arms, mustering up the friendliest and brightest smile that he has ever did. But instead of reciprocating the expression, Saerom frowns deeply with her brows knitting themselves together as she pointedly ignores him and steps away from him to direct her way to couch.

"What happened?" Jeno blankly stares at the empty spot where Saerom was standing a moment ago. Jaemin slaps a hand over his mouth, stifling his laughter as he watches Jeno flicker his gaze over to the spot in front of him and over at Saerom residing by the couch.

"Looks like she doesn't remember you."

"That can't be right." Jeno's legs give out, making him stumble right on the floor. He lands with a dull thud as the ache crawls through his muscles with a wince falling from his lips, rubbing the sore parts right on his legs.

"If my memory serves me right," Jaemin steals a glance at Saerom, who is currently sitting right on the floor in front of the couch with the backpack by her feet, dragging out a notebook and a set of crayons. "You've only seen her for what, three times for the past three years?"

"Four times in three years." Jeno gently corrects him as he tries to stand on his feet, a whimper escaping his mouth as the ache settles in. Jaemin emits a laugh, hurrying over to him to pull him in his arms for a quick embrace before leaving a fleeting kiss on his forehead.

"Right, do you think a six year old would remember someone like that?"

"She only met you once." Jeno sulks, the bitterness is already seeping in through his voice. Jaemin must have picked up on it, his brow arching as he rakes his eyes over the other's figure before he settles on staring at his expression written all over his face. Jeno looks beyond confused at first at the way Jaemin is gazing at him quite intensely, opening his mouth to question him but he falls silent when Jaemin leans over to steal a kiss from his lips.

"She'll warm up to you soon, I promise. You're quite charming, anyway." Jaemin curves his lips into a sickeningly sweet grin, his voice dripping with nothing but playfulness. "I mean, you did manage to captivate me."

"I did, didn't I?" Jeno teases back and Jaemin rolls his eyes at him, biting back the smile that's threatening to break out on his face.

"Oh, shut up." He steps away, putting a halt to their conversation as he approaches Saerom in wide strides. He crouches down once again, pointing discreetly at the books hidden right inside Saerom's pink backpack and speaks a few words to her. Right after that, Saerom nods her head eagerly and Jaemin takes her up in his arms, laughing as they take up the space on the couch with the backpack safely placed right beside the little girl. Jeno can only fix his gaze on them, curving a grin right on his lips as he watches the both of them take a book out, flipping through the pages.

Maybe this won't be so bad.

-

As it turns out, Saerom isn't... exactly the good girl that Jeno was expecting.

At all.

"Saerom, don't!" Jeno puts his foot down, quite literally, as he throws a glare at the younger girl bouncing on the couch. Saerom spares him a glance, shrugging her shoulders carelessly before bouncing once again, accidentally kicking the pillows off the furniture with every kick of her little legs. Just an hour in and Jeno is quite a mess already — his face is aching from frowning and trying to discipline the little kid.

"Are you guys doing okay?" Jaemin pokes his head out of the kitchen, his apron splattered with sauce. He even has that little chef's hat that Jeno bought him a year ago, the moment Jaemin has shown any interest in cooking.

Jeno spares him a tiresome glance, shoulders already drooping low and Saerom sings at the top of her lungs, nearly screaming the lyrics to some kid's tunes. Jaemin flashes him a pitying look, stepping out of the kitchen and approaching his boyfriend in hurried steps. He gives him a tight embrace, kissing his forehead affectionately before he pulls away, directing all of his attention to the girl still bouncing away carelessly on the couch.

"Saerom, sweetie?" Jaemin claps his hands once, quickly earning the girl's attention in a snap. He holds out his arms out at here, giving her a meaningful look as he arches a brow at her direction. Saerom juts out her lower lip, nodding obediently as she hesitantly gets down the couch and rushes straight into Jaemin's open arms. Jeno can only gaze at them with disbelief, wondering how in the world Saerom listens to Jaemin so easily and yet, she pointedly ignores Jeno at every possible moment?

"Do you want to help me in the kitchen?" She tugs on the collar of her dress, her whole face lighting up as she nods her head excitedly.

"Yes, please!" She squeals in excitement, clapping her hands eagerly and that little action did manage to earn a lighthearted laugh from Jaemin and Jeno. Somehow, despite her behavior at times, she can be extremely charming and adorable, melting Jeno's frustration away every time he sees her smile so widely.

"Okay, you're going to help us by giving us the ingredients that we need. Do you think you can do that?" Saerom spares Jeno another sideways glance, lips pursued before she nods her head slowly. Jaemin coos at her, walking close to Jeno, who's watching them both with a meaningful look crossing his features.

"Come here?" Jeno holds out his arms at her with a hopeful glint his dark orbs. Saerom stares down at his open arms, slowly raking her eyes up to his face before she cowers away with a quick shake of her head. Jeno's face falls, the disappointment written in his dark orbs before he forces his lips into a smile.

That's fine, it's still early — he still has time to get Saerom to warm up to him.

Jaemin casts him a sweet smile, hoping to at least cheer up his sullen boyfriend. Jeno can't help but feel like his heart's melting at the grin directed at him, mustering up a smile of his own as they walk right into the kitchen. They're cooking up spaghetti and Jeno peers at the large pot filled with sauce.

"Don't burn down our kitchen." Jaemin teasingly says, putting down Saerom right on the floor before he spares Jeno a mischievous smile. Jeno tries to scowl but he ends up cracking a smile, shaking his head as he starts to focus on mixing the sauce.

Saerom does listen well for once — she's eager as she tries to reach the counter, grasping for the ingredients that Jaemin calls out for her to take. Jeno lets his gaze fall on them, a smile already curving on his lips unknowingly as the sound of their laughter bounces off the walls. It's such a sweet, captivating sight and for a moment, he lets himself get lost in the moment.

Maybe this won't be so bad.

-

Except that he's wrong.

_Again._

"Saerom, please." Jeno clutches a new dress in his hands, his voice already on the verge of pleading with the younger girl. He has never once thought in his entire life that he would be on his knees, asking a six year old to get dressed already after taking a bath. Saerom is only bundled up with a towel but even then, she might catch a cold if she doesn't change into anything soon.

"No!" She bursts into a fit of giggles and for some odd reason, every trace of Jeno's weariness fades away. She knows that she's adorable and she's trying to use it for her advantage — where the hell did she even manage to learn this?

"Saerom, come on." Jeno spares a glance at the closed bathroom door, contemplating briefly if he should call his boyfriend over. But at the last second, he shakes his head, as if clearing that thought away with an inaudible sigh falling from his lips. He doesn't want to depend on Jaemin too much, Saerom is his niece, for goodness' sake, he needs to be able to discipline her if it's needed.

"Hey, Saerom," Jeno lowers his voice into a whisper, gesturing the girl to come close. She widens her eyes in curiosity and moves close, wrapping her arms around her tiny figure as he leans in to listen to Jeno's words. It takes everything in Jeno not to crack a smile as he successfully dons on a serious face — brows knitted with a frown curled on his lips.

"Do you know what your daddies said to me before they left?"

"What?" She squeaks out and Jeno makes a show of pursuing his lips in a thin line, as if he's deep in thought.

"They said that they won't give you any chocolates if you won't behave."

"No way!" She backs away, her expression contorted into a look of surprise and disbelief. Jeno grimly nods his head, face void of any emotion that might give away his true intentions as of the moment.

"Yes, they told me and they were a hundred percent serious about it!" Jeno holds out her dress, an eyebrow arching as he waves the clothing at her unwavering stare at him. "So, do you want to play in the bathroom or do you want to get your chocolates and get dressed up?"

Saerom stares at him, nose crinkling before she nods her head hurriedly. Jeno feels a triumphant smile form on his lips, his chest filled with pride — finally, his niece is listening to him. He does feel bad for lying to her but he's at his wits' end and he can't think of anything else to say to her.

After getting dressed up, he smooths down the white dress on her figure before standing properly, holding out his hand. Saerom shakes her head with another chortle falling from her lips as she rushes out of the bathroom, her newly dried hair lays down her back. Jeno hurries after her and he's stopped short when he sees Jaemin raising a brow at the two of them, a proud smile plastered on his face.

"Looks like you did a good job."

"Finally, someone who appreciates my hard work." Jeno dramatically calls out, just as Saerom rushes through the living room, eagerly attaching herself to Jaemin's legs. Jaemin easily picks her up in his arms, giving her a gentle squeeze before leaning in to drop a kiss on her forehead.

"Do you like Jeno now?" She hesitates for a stretch of silence before shrugging her shoulders lightly. She looks thoroughly confused but Jeno still takes it as a good sign since at least now, she doesn't completely despise him. Maybe it's because she has finally accepted that she has to be stuck with them for three days so she doesn't really have a choice.

But still, it feels nice to know that they're settling more on a neutral ground now.

Jeno parts his lips, ready for the words to fall off when his phone buzzes, alerting him. He digs it right out of his pants, knitting his brows at the name written on the screen.

"Hyuck?" Jeno questions out loud, feeling Jaemin and Saerom settle behind him as he pulls up the FaceTime, showing off Donghyuck and Renjun smiling brightly right at the screen. It looks like they're out as of the moment since they seem to be seated in a restaurant, the sound of muffled conversations and plates getting stacked on top of one another are echoing.

"Jeno! Where's Saerom?!" Renjun pulls the phone out of Donghyuck's grasp with a grin playing on his lips. Jeno rolls his eyes, one of the edges of his mouth curving upwards.

"Oh, why, hello to you too—"

"Show me Saerom already!" Renjun whines, holding the phone close to his face whilst trying to elbow Donghyuck, pushing him away. Jeno begrudgingly angles his camera so Jaemin and Saerom are included in the shot properly.

"Saerom!" Renjun's voice is light and cheery, his eyes practically twinkling in happiness as he waves enthusiastically at the camera. There's a muffled whine at the background, presumably coming from Donghyuck since he's clutching his arms where Renjun must have hit him a moment ago.

"Injun oppa!"

"Oppa?" Jeno's voice is dripping with incredulity and astonishment, eyes flickering back between Renjun and Saerom's bright smiles. Saerom even waves her small hand right at the camera, sporting on the same delightful look painted on her face.

"See, I told you that she calls me oppa."

"Since when?" Jaemin looks skeptical, a frown creasing itself on his lips but Renjun only appears smug as he flashes a cheeky smile.

"Since two weeks ago?"

"You met her two weeks ago?!"

"Why is that news to you guys?" Donghyuck lets his last word draw out into a yawn, his head falling on Renjun's shoulder. "He visits Taeyong hyung and Jaehyun hyung's house every week."

"What?" Jeno squeaks out, almost dropping his phone due to the overwhelming surprise coursing through his veins. Renjun doesn't say anything, angling the camera so both Donghyuck and him fit in the camera's view. Saerom perks up again, leaning in close to the camera and almost taking up all the space with a sweet smile on her face.

"Hyuckie oppa!"

"Hey, kiddo."

"She even calls Hyuck as oppa," Jeno breathes out, dazed at the shocking twist of the event. "What the hell?"

"Jeno, language." Jaemin's voice turns stern, making Jeno jut out his bottom lip into a pout. He mumbles a hushed apology under his breath, which is apparently enough for Saerom to burst into a fit of giggles, covering her face with her hands.

"I know you guys missed us—"

"No, we didn't."

"Oh shush, Jeno. We know how you truly feel." Donghyuck wiggles his eyebrows and lets out a laugh, clinging to Renjun's arm with a sad frown curling down on his mouth.  He glances at his watch, exchanging a quick look with Renjun before he heaves a deep sigh. "Sorry, guys. We have to go now since we still have to go somewhere!"

"It's fine. Stay safe." Jeno is about to shut the phone down but he's stopped short when Saerom eagerly puts her face near the screen, giving an ecstatic wave right at them.

"Bye, bye!"

"Oh my god, Saerom is so cute. Maybe we can cut this shopping date—"

"Bye, guys!" Donghyuck hurriedly shuts off the phone, leaving the three of them staring back at a blank screen. Jaemin elicits a laugh and carries Saerom away from the screen, just as Jeno pockets his phone securely.

"Hey, Saerom, how come you call Injun and Hyuck as oppa?" Jeno leans in close and Saerom ducks her head to avoid his unwavering gaze again, lightly tugging on the hem of her dress. She sniffles, wrinkling her nose before she lifts her stare to direct it at Jeno with a bright simper spreading across her face.

"They're nice."

"I'm nice too!" Saerom sports on a look of puzzlement before she shakes her head abruptly.

"No, you're not, mister."

"Mister?" Jeno gawks at her, slack jawed due to the words that left her lips. He turns his attention to his boyfriend, who can barely contain himself from snickering at the situation happening.

"Did you hear that, she called me—"

"Mister, I know." Jaemin clicks his tongue before he bends down a bit to grab hold of Saerom's backpack, letting her hold onto it before he flashes a cheeky smile right at Jeno. "How tragic."

Jeno pretends to scowl at them but Saerom only sticks out her tongue at him in a rather childish manner. Usually, Jaemin wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior — he tends to reprimand little kids like that but he seems to be really enjoying the obvious distress written all over Jeno's expression. He only emits an echoing laugh, giving the girl a squeeze as he secures his hold around her so she wouldn't fall.

"Don't frown or else, you'll get wrinkles, mister." Saerom then explodes into a fit of giggles, attempting to muffle the sound by placing her hands over her mouth. Her eyes widen comically and she squeals before she buries her face right on the crook of Jaemin's neck, preventing Jeno to take a glance at her.

"She's right, _mister_." Jaemin stresses the last word, a teasing grin curling on his lips. Jeno rolls his eyes at that, following Jaemin as they step out of the apartment, making sure to lock up.

"I'm so sure that Jaehyun hyung taught her to be like that." Jaemin shakes his head, pulling on Jeno's shirt to keep him close as they walk down the hallway. Jeno decides to loop an arm around Jaemin's lithe waist so they won't get separated.

"I wouldn't be surprised."

-

Saerom knows that she's adorable. It might have been because of Taeyong and Jaehyun constantly calling her that because for the last four times he saw her before, he's sure that he heard them call her that like ten times in a single hour. Because of that, she knows that she can start acting cute to get what she wants and Jeno is having a difficult time keeping himself together.

"I want some ice cream."

"No," The fast response comes flying past Jeno's lips without even meeting her gaze at him. They've decided to head over to the park and let Saerom mingle with the other kids, hoping that she'll earn herself some friends through her charming ways. Unfortunately for Jeno, she seems to be fond of using her charms of being cute to convince Jeno to get what she wants.

Jeno's self-control is running quite low, keeping his face straight as he lits his gaze to steal a glance at her. She's staring at him with a pout already playing on her lips, cupping her own cheeks. Well, damn it.

Jeno drops his line of sight elsewhere, praying that he'll have a tight grip on his self-control because he swears, he's going to end up giving in to her little demands. She drops on the blanker that's been set out on the grass, settling near to Jeno so he still has a perfect view of her acting cute once again.

"Saerom, I can't." He lowers his voice into a whisper, shaking his head without attempting to avert his eyes from her. "Nana will get mad."

"Why?" She drops the adorable act before she peers at him with curious eyes. Even before Jeno can part his lips, Jaemin plops down right beside him with three sandwiches in his hands.

"Because it's not good for you," Jaemin answers instead, his voice light and patient as he reaches over to gingerly place a sandwich by Saerom's empty lap. "Your throat might hurt if you eat any more sweets."

Her fingers wrap around the sides of the sandwich, eyes narrowed as she carefully goes through the contents. Once she's satisfied, she bites down on it, nodding her head at Jaemin's direction to show that she understands his point. Jeno heaves a deep sigh, gratefully accepting the sandwich from Jaemin's hands. It doesn't even take a long time before there are only crumbs left on Saerom's lap and hands.

Jaemin coos at her, wiping them all away before he lets Saerom walk around the park and making sure to remind her to stay near so they can keep an eye on her. Once she's safely right in the playground, Jeno's head falls right on Jaemin's shoulder with a whimper.

"Looks like I have another baby to take care of." Jaemin jokes as he wraps an arm around Jeno's body and leans in to press a kiss on his forehead. "Tired?"

"Very." Jeno whispers, gaze momentarily drifting over to watch Saerom mingle with a few other kids, bursting into fits of laughter soon after. "I wonder how you manage to do that."

"It really is tiring but it's always worth it when you see kids smile and you know that you're the reason why that happened," Jaemin glances at him with a subtle smile on his lips, brushing a kiss down his cheek with a low chuckle. "Also, it's fun when they end up choosing you over your strict boyfriend."

"I can be fun!" Jeno cries out, raising his head before he juts out his lower lip, crossing his arms over his chest. "And they don't always choose you. Sometimes, they choose me too."

"I know, I'm just messing with you." Jaemin slips his fingers through the empty spaces of Jeno’s hand, lightly squeezing them in his hold. His thumb briefly brushes against Jeno's knuckles with a softened smile playing just at the edges of his mouth. "I'm really proud of you, Jeno."

"Why?" Jeno turns to him with a questioning glance, a deep frown displaying his bewilderment showcases itself on his features. Jaemin flashes a smile at him, leaning over to steal a kiss from his lips and effectively wiping away all the remnants of a frown on his mouth.

"I've never seen you reach out so much and try to make a lot of effort in something like this." Jaemin murmurs, this time burying his face right on Jeno's steady shoulder as he snuggles against his side. "You don't know how happy this makes me."

"She's my niece, I have to be nice."

"Oh, come on. It's not like that," Jaemin raises his head just enough to lay his chin on Jeno's shoulder with a sweet smile curled on his lips. "Lately, I've seen you trying your best to connect with the kids in my school. I've seen you reach out and actually pay attention by playing with them and teaching them. It just became more obvious now since Saerom is in the picture."

What Jaemin said is true — it was already starting to be part of his daily routine. For the past two weeks, he hasn't missed a day in visiting Jaemin right after work, always on the tip of excitement since he loves seeing the endless burst of energy coming from the kids. It's a refreshing change compared to the dull environment in his office, despite the fact that Jeno loves his job so much.

It's just that his adoration for kids that he's been trying to bury deep within the confines of his chest for the past years finally exploded when Saerom got around to spend some time with him. Even just spending a day with her has already made him feel like he's on cloud nine — he feels the overwhelming urge to protect her, even if they're still rough when it comes to forming a steady relationship with each other.

He's struck with the realization why Jaemin adores his job as a teacher so much — it's seeing their faces light up, their eagerness to learn at such a young age. It's the kind of happiness that Jeno is more than elated to know that he can share the same feelings with Jaemin.

Jeno snaps out of his thoughts when Jaemin presses another lingering kiss right on his lips. His cheeks become dusted with pink, the embarrassment coursing through his veins, just as Saerom bounces over them. Jeno manages to shake off the embarrassment that settled in his stomach, gesturing for her to sit right down in front of him.

Saerom doesn't take another second thought before he plops down right in front of him with her back facing Jeno. Jaemin works on soothing her down whilst wiping away her sweat with a fresh towel before Jeno takes over with a brush, combing through her strands to smoothen out the tangles.

To Jaemin's surprise, Jeno works quickly and efficiently as he braids her hair in a shockingly neat way. He sticks out his tongue in concentration, eyes narrowed as he carefully fixes the braid so it's secure but not too tight so the girl won't get hurt.

"I never thought I would see the day when Jeno actually fixes a little girl's hair." Jaemin announces, leaning over to inspect the braid with a wondrous look crossing his features. "When did you even learn this?"

Jeno blushes a deep red, his cheeks coloring themselves as he drops the brush right beside him. "Injun taught me once when we were still 'babysitting'. He thought that I would at least help out when he fixes little girls' hairs — he never thought that I would be reclining on the couch while he chases after a little girl with frizzy hair."

The imagery presented to them makes Jaemin burst into a fit of laughter, shaking his head. When Jaemin steadies his attention on the two of them, he's astonished at the way Saerom easily made her way onto Jeno's lap with Jeno carefully checking her braid again, asking her if she wants another kind of hairstyle.

At this rate, Jaemin wouldn't be surprised if Saerom will choose to fall asleep right between them tonight.

He definitely wouldn't mind that though.

-

"I'm tired." The last word that escapes Saerom's lips is a long yawn, stretching her arms over her head. She rubs her eyes before making grabby hands right at Jaemin's direction, her bottom lip slowly jutting out to form a pout.

It's such an endearing sight that Jaemin's heart melts almost immediately, just as Jeno predicted. Jaemin bends down, opening his arms and Saerom makes her way into his embrace, tucking her face right at the crook of Jaemin's neck once more. He successfully gives her a tight embrace, pulling her in his arms as he stands up before turning to Jeno with a small smile.

"I'll tuck her in first, okay?" Jeno nods his head understandingly, watching as Jaemin makes her face the older boy with a light pat on her shoulder. "Say good night to Jeno, sweetie."

"Bye, bye." She ends up saying, her voice filled with sleepiness as she raises an arm slightly give Jeno a little wave. Both Jeno and Jaemin can't help but elicit a laugh at her adorable gesture as Jaemin pats her back once again, soothing her down so she can drift off to sleep. Jaemin heads over to the guest room that they've set up yesterday, which Jeno graciously covered the bed with stuffed toys that she might end up liking.

The silence settles in as soon as Jeno steps inside their own room, suddenly not used without the sound of Saerom giggling and screeching at the top of her lungs. It feels strange but even then, Jeno tries to find a way to relax as he plops down straight to the bed. Though it's mostly muffled, he can hear a soft sound of giggles right at the room next to them and Jaemin's low voice, gently soothing Saerom into a deep sleep.

Jeno allows a smile to gently curl on his lips, laying down on the bed with his face pressed against the sheets. There's the sound of the doors clicking shut and the footsteps gently hitting the floor before the door to their bedroom swings open, revealing an exhausted yet blissful Jaemin standing by it. Jeno only raises a hand, gesturing him to come close and his boyfriend obediently follows him, shutting the door behind him. He takes slow steps towards him and settles right beside him, immediately diving under the covers to seek for the comfort and warmth.

"You look exhausted," Jeno comments as Jaemin peers up at him, holding out his arms with a soft whine. Jeno can't help but emit a lighthearted chuckle as he willingly takes Jaemin into his arms, their heartbeats falling in sync. Jaemin lets his leg wrap around Jeno's waist before he buries his face right on his shoulder with an arm carelessly thrown around the other boy's torso.

"Did you have a good day?" Jaemin murmurs, his voice dipping in between sleepiness and trying to keep himself awake. Jeno only hums in thought, his hand running through his boyfriend's hair with the strands tangling around his fingers.

"I did," Jeno surprises himself with his own answer, eyes widening slightly as soon as the words left his lips before a smile plays on the edges of his mouth. "I didn't know that babysitting a kid with you could be fun, even if Saerom might have caused me a year's worth of headaches in a single day."

Jaemin laughs, his eyelashes fluttering against Jeno's skin as he struggles to stay awake with an inaudible sigh. Jeno continues to brush his fingers through his dark strands, lulling the boy into a long and deep sleep — it's what he deserves after relentlessly helping Jeno take care of Saerom the entire day.

"I'm really happy, Jen," Jaemin's eyes have already fluttered shut, this time the sigh that leaves his lips comes out relieved and contented. "You make me so happy."

When a stretch of silence echoes between them, Jeno realizes that Jaemin finally fell asleep. Their arms looped around each other and their bodies comfortably pressed against each other. He lets himself relax, noticing the steady rhythm of Jaemin's breathing and his heartbeat gently pattering against his rib cage. Jeno lets his lips brush just the slightest against Jaemin's forehead, his heart practically bursting with happiness as he stares down at him with a wide smile.

It doesn't really take too long before he falls asleep, slipping right into senseless state of a dream.

-

The sound of the utensils and plates being moved around wakes him up from his deep slumber.

Jaemin has already shifted his position, his back facing Jeno whilst hugging a pillow against his chest but their bodies are still pressed up comfortably, just like before. Jeno tries to write the noises off as a part of his imagination when he hears the unmistakable sound of the glasses cups moving. His heartbeat quickens as he perks up, craning his neck as he listens carefully while trying to run a mental list through his head.

He's sure that the doors and windows are all securely locked — there's no way for an intruder to slip through. He's quite sure that there isn't some ghost roaming around since he didn't have any experiences like this before in the same apartment.

He hesitantly gets up from the bed, careful not to wake his boyfriend up as he slips off the sheets. He slowly walks over to the wooden door, his heartbeat sounding so loud as it echoes all around the confines of his chest, effectively drowning out any other sound. He gently pushes the door open, mindful enough not to make any unnecessary noise before he pokes his head, eyeing every corner of the darkness outside. Since his eyes are used to the dark, they adjust quickly, showcasing the dark living room that's void of anything strange.

He steps out of the room, closing the door firmly before he roams around, checking the living room before the sound of glass cups knocking against one another echoes in the direction of the kitchen. He takes hurried steps towards the kitchen, his heart dropping to the ground when he arrives at the entrance of the place.

Saerom is struggling to get a glass cup that's perched on the counter, tiptoeing just so her fingers can brush against it. When she realizes that she failed once again to retrieve the glassware, she elicits a loud huff, clearly annoyed

"Saerom?" Jeno quietly says, earning Saerom's attention in a snap. She jumps in surprise, her eyes widening comically as Jeno flicks on the light switch, illuminating the entire kitchen area.

"Why are you awake? It's two in the morning." She tugs on the hem of her pyjamas before pointing at the glass cup that's way out of her reach. She juts out her bottom lip as she eyes the glassware before letting her gaze flicker over to Jeno with a pleading look.

"Can I have some milk?" Jeno blinks rapidly, shaking his head as if clearing away the remnants of sleep in his system before he nods his head understandingly, retrieving the glass cup and opening the refrigerator to grab hold of the milk carton. He pours an ample amount of it inside, resealing it and slipping it back in the refrigerator.

"Here you go," He crouches down to her level, handing the cup to her and he adores the way her eyes light up in delight. She quietly mumbles a _thank you_ at his direction before grabbing the cup, going straight to the living room whilst trying not to spill the contents. Jeno is left behind with a muddled expression crossing his features, following her and flicking the light switch again so the light turns off.

He decides to turn on the lamp near the couch, giving the room a quiet glow that's not too straining to their eyes as they both settle down on the couch. She quietly downs her drink, taking careful sips whilst Jeno tries to keep himself awake though it's difficult since he can feel the exhaustion crawling back through his bones. The sound of Saerom's clear voice jolts him awake, his head spinning a little.

"I miss my daddies." She glances down at her milk with a small frown curling on her lips, realizing that it's only half full now.

"What?" Jeno turns to her, clearing his head from the still fogginess invading his mind before he focuses his eyes on her, switching his entire attention to her. She shifts her position on the couch, passing the glass cup to Jeno before snuggling against his side in a rather comfortable manner.

"I miss my daddies," She places her hands on her empty lap and heaves a soft sigh, her bottom lip jutting out into a pout again. "Daddy Jaehyun reads to me every night while daddy Taeyong makes me milk to drink!"

"Oh," Jeno blinks and his gaze softens right at her. No wonder she's awake at this hour — she's not used to just being tucked in like that by Jaemin and Jeno. It seems like drinking milk and getting to read a fairytale book is a tradition and routine for her and it must be confusing to just break it out of nowhere again.

"Do you want me to read to you?" She nods her head enthusiastically, hastily getting off the couch to run over to the guest room. She comes back a moment later, carrying her backpack against her chest as she situates herself back on the couch. Jeno retrieves the backpack, opening it up and grabs at least two books in it before he gently pats his lap. She lays her head on it whilst Jeno flicks through one of the fairytale books, which is entitled _Cinderella_.

Saerom lets her line of sight settle on Jeno as the older boy finally goes through the first page, a smile easily curling his lips as he runs a hand through her dark locks.

"Once upon a time, there was a kind girl named Cinderella."

-

It's the empty space on the bed that awakens Jaemin out of his deep sleep — his hand reaches out in hopes of feeling Jeno's warm skin but instead, his fingers end up grasping the sheets instead. His eyes flutter open, dazed and confused as he raises his head to glance around the darkness blanketing his vision. He can make out the faint glow of light under the small crack of the door, alerting him.

He hastily gets out of the bed, his nerves hitting the roof as the worry pools in his stomach — he's thoroughly afraid that something happened since Jeno barely gets out of the bed in the middle of the night. He has only done that a few times and most of those moments, he's stressed over some bad news.

He approaches the door in tentative steps, his fingers circling around the doorknob and pushing the door open very softly. His breath hitches when he sees Jeno seated comfortably on the couch, reading a fairytale sort of book in a soft and gentle voice whilst struggling to read the words without drawing out a yawn in between. He stops for a moment, glancing down before a smile curves itself on his lips.

Jaemin quietly shuts the door behind him, approaching his boyfriend hesitantly and his heart melts as the sight of Saerom with her head propped up comfortably on Jeno's lap meets him. Saerom is already fast asleep and Jeno stops stroking her hair, letting his fingers slip out of her dark locks.

"Hey," Jaemin keeps his voice so he won't frighten Jeno or possibly wake up the little girl. Jeno inclines his head, eyes wide before he relaxes completely upon seeing his boyfriend standing behind the couch with an arched brow.

"She couldn't fall asleep." Jeno tries to appear nonchalant as he shrugs his shoulders with a faraway glint in his dark orbs. "Apparently, she can't sleep well without drinking milk and getting someone to read her a book."

Jaemin doesn't have to take another look to see that Jeno finally gave in and cracked a smile. Somehow, the thought of Jeno waking up in the middle of the night and accompanying Saerom until she falls asleep makes his heart squeeze in his chest — the feelings running through his body are all indescribable but he's sure that he's absolutely bursting with happiness right now. Jeno has always been the type of person who gives affection without anyone else knowing but it's so nice to know that he holds this incredible amount of adoration deep within his heart.

"Let's get her to bed." Jaemin ends up saying and Jeno stares at him for a moment, a smile curving on his lips.

"Can she sleep with us tonight?" Jeno quietly asks, his voice low as his eyes drifts off over to Saerom once again. He subconsciously strokes her hair again, as if trying to soothe her down even if she's already fast asleep. Jaemin beams brightly at the idea and nods his head understandingly, leaning down to leave a peck on Saerom's forehead before he steals a kiss from Jeno's lips. Even through the dim light coming from the lamp, he can still spot the obvious red tint spreading across Jeno's cheeks as the boy coughs into his fist.

"Come on." Jeno gently carries her in his arms, making sure not wake her up from her deep slumber and holding her against his body securely. He lets her bury her face right on the crook of his neck, snuggling close unknowingly in search of the warmth radiating off from his body. Both Jaemin and Jeno keep their footsteps slow and steady, heading carefully to their bedroom and laying her right down on the sheets. She squirms a bit before curling up into a ball, falling back to sleep peacefully.

"I'm tired." Jeno quietly says with his eyes droopy and his shoulders slumped to display his obvious fatigue. It's as if the day's events have caught up to him again and his body is heavy with the weariness traveling through his bones.

Jaemin doesn't say anything in reply — he approaches Jeno until they're standing in front of each other before his arms wrap themselves around the older boy's frame. Jeno is stunned at the sudden display of affection before he feels himself loosen up, indulging himself in the warmth with a soft sigh of relief. Jaemin pulls away slightly, cupping his cheeks in the most delicate manner he could before he leans in close.

Jeno's breath hitches, his heart skipping a beat when he feels the other male's breath against his lips. His eyes fall shut and everything just stops when Jaemin captures his lips in a deep and gentle kiss, pulling him as close as he can. Jeno rests his hands right by Jaemin's waist, a smile curling on his mouth as he drops a few more soft pecks right on his lips. He pulls away to rest his forehead against his with a lighthearted laugh falling effortlessly from his mouth.

"I love you." Jaemin mumbles, his face now heating up as the pink colors itself across the curves of his cheeks. Jeno can't help but coo at him, dropping a kiss on the tip of his nose before he lets him rest his head against his shoulder.

"I love you too." Jeno lightly runs a hand through his boyfriend's hair, leaving a fleeting kiss on top of his head. "Let's head to bed?"

Jaemin pulls away, his starry eyes brighter than ever as a smile graces his lips.

"Okay."

-

"Saerom, let me ask you again," Jeno switches his voice into a serious tone as he clasps his hands together tightly. "Who do you like better, Jaemin or me?"

"Nana oppa!" Jaemin pops out from the kitchen, carrying a bag of cookies with a triumphant smirk spreading across his face. Jeno groans in distress, dramatically falling on the couch while Saerom covers her mouth, erupting into a fit of giggles once again.

"See? She even calls me Nana now." Jaemin immediately holds out his arms over to Saerom, who eagerly makes grabby hands right at him before jumping off the couch to approach the older boy. Jaemin crouches down and Saerom easily jumps into his arms, cuddling him up by wrapping her arms around his neck with Jaemin's arms comfortably looped around her tinier figure.

"This is what I get after everything I've done?" Jeno covers his face, sniffling loudly and pretending that he's sobbing. "The two of you broke my heart and it's beyond repair now."

"Where did he learn his acting lessons from?" Jaemin mutters, snickering and barely able to hold himself back from bursting into a fit of laughter. "Stop crying, you big baby. Come on, you took care of Saerom for a day and you're already this dramatic."

"You two are so mean." Jeno sulks, lower lip jutting out into a pout as he pulls his hands away from his face. Jaemin coos at him, settling right next to him before letting Saerom scoot over to take her place on Jeno's lap. Jeno can't help but beam brightly, immediately attacking her with kisses and tight embrace and earning a squeal from the younger girl.

Their echoing laughter gets cut off abruptly when a knock on the door resounds within the room. Jeno and Jaemin both exchange a glance, eyebrows furrowed just the slightest before Jeno carries Saerom in his arms securely. Jeno can feel his heart drop to his feet when they both get to the door, his fingers wrapping around the gold doorknob and swinging it open, revealing Taeyong and Jaehyun with bright smiles on their faces.

"Saerom!" Taeyong reaches out eagerly and Saerom lets out a squeal, making grabby hands right at him. Jeno finds the edges of his lips curling up into a bright smile as he helps her carefully settle in the older male's arms, stepping back just when Jaemin finally settled himself behind Jeno. Taeyong gives her a brief squeeze before letting her down on the floor, helping her balance herself once her feet touches it.

"Hey, guys, thank you so much for babysitting her." Jaehyun beams brightly, his arm winding around Taeyong's waist before he leans down to peck Saerom right on her cheek. He pulls away with his stare fixated on the two boys in front of him with an apologetic look crossing his features. "I'm sorry if she ever caused you any trouble."

"Oh, no way, she's a little angel!" Both Taeyong and Jaehyun spare Jeno an amused gaze, an eyebrow arching in interest whilst their lips twitching to form a smile. Jeno can feels his cheeks heat up slightly, catching Jaemin's eyes before they share a quick smile.

"Well, maybe she was a little bit of a..."

"Troublemaker?" Jaehyun elicits a laugh, nodding his head with a smile easily tugging on his lips. "We know. She can be like that when she's not yet comfortable with the person that's babysitting her."

Saerom catches onto their conversation and her lower lip juts out into a pout, clearly distressed and miserable. Her gaze flickers over to Jeno, crossing her arms over her chest with a sniffle.

"You said that you wouldn't tell on me!"

Jeno tries not to let his mouth curve upwards into a smile but Saerom is just too adorable when she's sulking like this. He crouches down and wraps his arms around her, pecking her cheek before gently stroking her hair with his fingers, careful not to ruin the hairdo he made for her.

"I'm sorry," Jeno contorts his expression into a sad frown once he pulls away, still holding her close to him. "But don't worry, you'll still get your sweets."

"Really?" She sniffles, craning her neck to glance up at Jaehyun and Taeyong with her pout still playing on her lips. Jaehyun and Taeyong both exchange a glance before they both nod, a smile easily curves on their lips. She squeals again, clasping her hands together with a grin painted across her lips once again.

"Did you have fun?" Jaehyun switches his attention to her, a hand patting her head gently. Saerom beams brightly, holding her backpack close to her as she enthusiastically nods her head to show her excitement.

"Yes! Nana oppa made me spaghetti and they both took me to the park." She wrinkles her nose, looking incredibly thoughtful once again before she brightens up. "Jeno oppa also gave me some milk and read me a book!"

"You did?" Taeyong questions out loud, his eyes wide in curiosity and interest. Jeno rubs the nape of his neck, eyes crinkling as a smile appears on the edges of his mouth.

"Yes! I had so much fun with them. Can we visit them again soon?" Saerom tugs on the hem of Jaehyun's coat before clinging right to his leg. Jaehyun can't help but burst into a fit of chuckles, nodding his head.

"Sure, I think we can do that." He switches his attention back to Jaemin and Jeno standing by the door before flashing a wide smile at them. "Thank you again for babysitting her."

"No problem!" Jaemin pipes up, his starry eyes brighter than ever as he crouches down until he's around Saerom's height. He holds his arms open at her direction, gesturing her to come close. Saerom easily runs to his arms, embracing him as tightly as she could whilst Jaemin runs a hand down her back, leaving a kiss on top of her head.

"I'll miss you." Saerom sniffles and breaks away from the embrace after a moment, turning to Jeno with another pout tugging on her lips as she holds out her arms at him. Jeno smiles brightly at her, clearly elated when Saerom rushes straight into his arms, giving him a tight hug with her face buried right on his shoulder.

"Nana oppa and I will miss you so, so much." Jeno gives her a comforting squeeze before pulling away, pinching her cheek lightly with a sweet smile. "Make sure to be a good girl, all right? Listen to your daddies and don't cause any trouble. I'll bring chocolates to you once we get some time to visit you."

"Okay!" She agrees easily, her eyes wide as a grin curls on her lips. She reaches in, planting a kiss on his cheek and catching Jeno completely off guard with the sudden display of affection. She giggles as she runs back to hide right behind Jaehyun's coat, just like the very first time they came over to visit.

Jeno calmly clears his throat but his cheeks still burn, embarrassed but delighted since it seems like his niece finally came around and gave him a chance. He's really grateful for that chance — she's a little sweetheart, after all.

"We have to get going now. Saerom, say bye bye to them!"

"Bye bye!" She waves at them excitedly before she makes grabby hands right at Taeyong. Taeyong easily bends down to lift her up in his arms, making sure she's comfortable against his body as she buries her face on his shoulder with an elated sigh leaving her lips. Jaemin and Jeno both watch them walk down the hallway — Saerom on the verge of falling asleep again while Jaehyun slides an arm around Taeyong's waist, sharing a smile.

Once they're out of their line of sight, Jaemin quietly shuts the door and turns to Jeno with a sweet smile. He gently coos at him, cupping his cheeks delicately before he presses a kiss right on Jeno's lips.

"I can't believe I'm going to miss hearing a kid scream out the lyrics to _Baby Shark_ while trying to dance on the couch." Jaemin lets out a laugh, shaking his head just as Jeno elicits a sigh, a faraway glint is bright in his dark orbs. Jaemin gently lays his head on the other boy's shoulder, his arms looping themselves around Jeno's waist instead.

"You're always free to come visit me in my school, by the way. I'm sure the kids miss you too." At that thought, Jeno lets out a lighthearted laugh, leaning in to drop a kiss on Jaemin's forehead before he wraps his arms around his frame.

"I guess you'll be seeing a lot of me even more now." They share a laugh and Jaemin snuggles close, heaving a sigh of contentment at the warmth radiating off from Jeno's body. Jeno holds him close, running a hand through his dark locks, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'd love that."

-

"I can't believe this." Renjun dramatically says, shaking his head before covering his face with his hands. Donghyuck rolls his eyes at his reaction, turning his attention to Jaemin and Jeno, who are staring at them with a look of confusion drawn on their features.

"He's being dramatic since Saerom—"

"Likes Jeno more than me!" Renjun feels his shoulders slump in disappointment and swirls his coffee around his cup with his straw. "Imagine picking Jeno over me. That's tragic."

"Hey!" Jeno flashes a look of disbelief at Renjun but the older boy only shrugs his shoulders carelessly.

"We visited Saerom yesterday and Saerom kept on asking us when will you guys visit since she misses you two a lot." Renjun casts on a crestfallen expression and Jaemin snickers into his fist, his eyes bright with mischief.

"Where's Jeno oppa? I want to eat Nana oppa's spaghetti again!" Renjun does a horrible imitation of Saerom's voice, raising his voice a pitch higher before he buries his face in his hands. "She calls them oppa too! And I thought I got special treatment because I'm the only one she calls oppa."

"You do realize that she calls me Hyuckie oppa too—"

"I'm heartbroken right now, Hyuck. Support me!"

"I think I know where Jeno got his dramatic acting skills," Jaemin gestures to Renjun whilst barely able to hold back the fit of laughter that's threatening to leave his lips. "This is what happens when you date Injun for three days."

"Hey!" Both Jeno and Renjun simultaneously respond, making Donghyuck and Jaemin elicit a laugh at their similar reaction. Jeno shakes his head, taking a sip of his iced coffee before resting his back against his chair.

"I think she's only looking for me since I promised her that I would give her chocolates."

"That's it!" Renjun perks up, hastily pulling on Donghyuck's sleeve, surprising the younger boy. "We need to bribe her with sweets."

"I don't think that's a good idea—" Jaemin speaks up but Renjun waves his hand at him dismissively, shaking his head.

"Nonsense! Jeno is right — kids love sweets and now, we need to buy some sweets for Saerom." Renjun rushes straight out his chair, pulling on Donghyuck's shirt. Donghyuck almost gets dragged off his own chair, yelping as he struggles to keep his pace the same with Renjun.

"See you guys later!" Donghyuck calls out before he finally turns his full attention to Renjun, probably to yell at him to slow down for a bit since Renjun is pulling on his shirt quite hard. Jaemin has a small smile of amusement playing on his lips before his gaze meets Jeno's.

"How long do you think it'll take them to realize that Taeyong hyung and Jaehyun hyung will be furious if they give too much sweets to Saerom?" Jeno emits a laugh, shaking his cup and letting the ice cubes lightly hit the inside of the container.

"Let them be." He glances briefly down on his empty cup before he switches his attention to Jaemin with a cheeky grin. "They're going to get their asses kicked right out of the house, even if they're only on the front porch."

"Oh, definitely."

-

Jaemin has his head placed right on Jeno's lap, flipping through the pages of his book whilst Jeno keeps his gaze steady on the television. He's been browsing through the options in Netflix but he can't seem to find anything that will catch his interest in a snap.

"Hey, Nana, what should I wa—" The sound of someone rapidly knocking on the door alerts them both to the core. Jaemin jolts up in surprise, almost hitting Jeno since Jeno has his head ducked to keep his stare steady on Jaemin a moment ago. They both exchange a quick glance before they rush to the door, hearts nervously pounding against their chest.

Jaemin's fingers wrap around the golden doorknob, twisting it slowly before he swings the door open. Yuta and Sicheng, both of which are friends with Taeyong and Jaehyun, stands on the other side of the door whilst sporting on wide smiles.

"Oh, what are you guys doing here?" Jeno questions out loud, his gaze briefly dropping and spotting the little boy standing right in between the couple. He has a mischievous smile playing on his lips, bouncing from one foot to another — he looks like a energetic kid, around the age of five.

"So, we heard from Jaehyun and Taeyong that you guys babysat Saerom two weeks ago and Saerom sounded like she had a good time." Yuta directs his attention to Sicheng, who furrows his eyebrows at him. Yuta tries to discreetly elbow him but he misses, making Sicheng roll his eyes and pull one of the corners of his mouth upwards to form a half smile.

"Is it all right if you guys can babysit Jiro too?" Sicheng glances down with a bright smile finally forming on his lips, patting the boy's head lightly with a hand. "It's only for one night, we promise."

Both Jaemin and Jeno exchange glances, their eyes wide. Jeno lets his gaze flicker back to the boy named Jiro, whose smile is wide and his eyes are bright with mischief as he tugs on Yuta's pants with a light pull.

Jeno quietly lets his stare fixate itself back to Jaemin and the other male is gazing at him with a lingering smile on his lips, his head tilting subtly to the side. Jeno elicits a deep sigh, finally allowing himself to return the expression as he lifts the corners of his mouth into a radiant grin, switching his attention back to the couple with expectant looks crossing their features.

"Sure, we'd love that."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! feel free to talk to me in [twitter.](http://twitter.com/jenosaints)


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